How To Buy, Sell, And Transfer A Used Starlink

Starlink has been delivering satellite internet around the world since late 2020. As time has gone on, some customers have had to get rid of Starlink for one reason or another. Websites like eBay and Facebook Marketplace are filling up with used Starlink dishes. If you are interested in buying or selling a used Starlink dish, this guide was created to help you out.

We’ll give you all the information you need in order to safely buy, sell, transfer, and activate a Starlink kit on the used market. To start out, let’s quickly answer the most common questions.

Can you sell your Starlink equipment?

Yes, you can sell your used Starlink equipment. Customers who are on the Residential, Business, Roam, and Best Effort service plans are able to sell/transfer their hardware. When you purchase Starlink, you own the hardware. According to Starlink, you have the right to do what you wish with your equipment:

2.5 Title to Starlink Kit. Starlink will transfer title to the Starlink Kit and any accessories to you at the time of delivery.

7.5 Transferring Services. You may have the option to transfer or assign your Services to another responsible party if (a) the account is paid-in-full and in good standing; and (b) the Service address is the same or the requested Service address has network availability. Service transfers are subject to Starlink approval. Please visit https://support.starlink.com/ to learn more about transferring your Services.

Starlink Terms of Service

Can you buy a used Starlink dish?

Yes, you can buy a used Starlink dish, assuming the buyer and seller meet all the requirements. You can buy used Starlink hardware and purchase Residential, Business, or Roam service. Residential and Business plans might not be available in all areas due to capacity. If your address is waitlisted, you won’t be able to start new Residential service with used hardware. In order to use a Starlink dish that you bought used, you’ll need the seller to complete a few different tasks. We’ll get into that next.

How to sell and transfer a Starlink kit

In this section, we will guide you through the process of selling your Starlink dish. If you are a buyer, you can skip this section and jump to the buying section.

Step 1: Write down your Starlink hardware info

You’ll need to collect some information to provide to the buyer. Record each of these identifiers so that you can reference them later. Either one of these numbers can be used to activate the dish, but provide both if you can.

1. Device ID (KIT #) – On the Starlink.com Account Portal, click Manage on the hardware you wish to transfer. Under the Devices section, write down the Starlink Device ID. Example: KIT300900751. The Device ID is also printed on the Starlink shipping box
2. Terminal ID – To find your Terminal ID, open up the Starlink app. At the very bottom, tap Advanced. Under the Starlink section is the ID number. You just need the numbers, not the “ut” at the beginning. Example: 01000000-00000000-002c64bb

Step 2: Cancel your Starlink service

Your service must be cancelled in order to complete the transfer process. In order to cancel, all your outstanding orders and monthly statements must be paid in full. To cancel your service, log in to your Starlink.com Account Portal. Click on Manage next to the service you wish to cancel. Click Cancel Service. Select the reason you are cancelling, and then uncheck the box that asks if you want to return your hardware. Click Confirm to process the cancellation.

Step 3: Initiate the transfer

Head back to the Account Portal and click Manage on the dish that you wish to transfer. Then click Transfer. You’ll need to confirm that you accept the conditions of the transfer. The hardware will be removed from your account permanently, there is no going back after you hit Confirm. Your service will stop immediately, and any remaining days in the billing cycle will be lost.

Step 4: Get the hardware ready

Pack up all the hardware from your Starlink kit. The buyer will need the dish, mount, Starlink cable, router, and router power cord. Factory reset the Starlink router and any mesh nodes that you might be including in the sale. To factory reset the router and mesh nodes, unplug and plug in the power 6 times in a row, waiting a few seconds in between each power cycle.

If you have the original Starlink box, pack everything back up. If not, make sure you package or transport the hardware in a safe and protected manner. You don’t want to damage any of the equipment, especially the Starlink dish and Starlink cable connectors.

Step 5: Communicate with the buyer

When you find a buyer for your Starlink kit, you need to let them know how to activate the hardware on a new or existing Starlink account. Provide them with all the ID numbers that you recorded in Step 1: Device ID and the Terminal ID.

Let the buyer know that they must sign up for service on Starlink.com. They will need to go through the checkout process for whatever line of service they are wanting (Residential, Roam, or Business). The ID numbers you provide will allow them to activate their new service with the hardware you are selling them.

Send them a link to this guide, and refer them to the How to buy a used Starlink section for instructions on how to activate their new Starlink hardware.

How to buy and activate a Starlink kit

In this section we are going to walk through the process of buying and activating a used Starlink dish that was purchased from a 3rd party seller. It’s important to note that the seller must have already cancelled their service, and transferred the hardware out of their account before you can activate the kit.

Step 1: Collect the Starlink ID numbers

Before you can activate a dish that you purchase on the used market, you’ll need some information from the seller. Be sure to collect one of the following identifiers, preferably both:

1. Device ID – Example: KIT300900751
2. Terminal ID – Example: 01000000-00000000-002c64bb. You just need the numbers, not the “ut” at the beginning

If the seller doesn’t know these numbers, send them the link to this guide and refer them to the How to sell and transfer a Starlink kit section. Either ID can be used to activate the dish.

Step 2: Activate service at Starlink.com

Head over to Starlink.com/activate and enter in one of the Starlink identifiers provided by the seller. You’ll need to decide whether to open a new Starlink account, or add a line of service to an existing account.

Step 3: Choose your service plan

If the Starlink identifier was valid, you will see a screen with several service plan options. The plans available to you depend on your address. Enter you address into the field near the bottom of the screen to see the full options available to you.

Residential and Business plans might not be available if your area has low capacity. It is important to note that buying used hardware does not allow you to bypass the Starlink waitlist. You won’t be able to activate new Residential service with used hardware if your address does not have open availability. You can, however, choose other plans to purchase, such as Roam.

Step 4: Complete the rest of the order

Continue filling out the order form by completing the sections for contact and billing information. When everything is filled out, click Place Order. Upon completion of the order, your service will start immediately. You’ll be billed every month until you cancel the service.

Buying and selling tips

1. Confirm that you can order Starlink Residential at your address prior to buying a used Starlink. Be prepared to purchase the Roam service instead, if you still wish to buy the used equipment
2. When buying from eBay, take advantage of their buyer protection. You’ll need to pay in advance when using eBay, so communicate your expectations with the seller regarding the transfer before buying
3. When buying a used dish, verify the condition with the seller. You will need to make sure it can turn on, connect to satellites, and connect to the internet. It’s always best to be able to check it out in person
4. When buying, ask the seller if their Starlink account is active or cancelled. If the account is still active, make sure they are prepared to pay off any outstanding balance
5. When selling, communicate with the buyer about availability restrictions for Residential and Business service. Also talk about the option of starting up Roam service if the buyers address is waitlisted
6. Share the link to this page with the person you are dealing with, so that both of you understand the process

I’m getting an error message about my Starlink identifier

If you are trying to activate service and the Starlink website isn’t accepting your Starlink identifier, it could be caused by several things. Make sure you are using the right Starlink identifier. You can use the KIT# or the Terminal ID number. Make sure to communicate with the buyer to make sure you received the right identifiers.

If you are getting the message that the Starlink is already associated with an account, make sure the buyer has followed the steps to cancel and transfer the hardware out of their account.

Starlink scams and theft are becoming more common. If you’ve tried everything, and still can’t get the website to accept your Starlink identifier, it is possible that you bought a stolen or currently activated dish that the seller wasn’t authorized to transfer.

Can I cancel/reverse a transfer?

If you are the seller, you cannot reverse a transfer. Once the buyer has activated the equipment, you can’t add it back. If the deal falls through before the buyer activates the dish, you can still sell it to someone else. If you wish to start using transferred hardware again, you would need to complete the buyer activation process and add the hardware back to your old account, or even a new one.

If you are the buyer and have activated used hardware with a new account, you can simply cancel the service. If you wish to return the equipment to the seller, or sell it someone else, follow the section above for selling a Starlink kit.

Can Starlink Roam/Mobile be transferred?

Yes, you can sell and transfer your Starlink Roam (Mobile) hardware kit. Since the hardware between Residential and Roam is identical, buyers can activate either Residential or Roam with your used Roam kit.

How much is a used Starlink worth?

A new Starlink kit costs $599, so naturally, a used Starlink is not as valuable. If a buyers address is open for Residential or Roam, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to list a used dish for more than MSRP.

In our opinion, $300-$500 is a fair price for a used Starlink kit. If you are a buyer, don’t pay more, just buy from Starlink instead.

Does the warranty transfer over?

The warranty provided by Starlink starts from the date of the original purchase of the equipment. Any remaining warranty time is transferred with the equipment, to the new owner. In the US, the warranty for the Standard hardware kit is 12 months. Refer to our Starlink warranty post for more information.

Can I transfer a Starlink kit to/from a different country?

It depends, based on specific local regulations. In some markets, the hardware is geo-locked. That means it cannot be used outside of the country it was originally shipped to. It’s generally best to purchase or sell Starlink kits within the same country they originated from. If you are buying a kit from a different country, you might not be able to activate it for new service. Be sure to communicate expectations with the seller in case you are not able to successfully activate the dish.